BGA: Scouting Lex Hilliard

Earlier this week, the Jets signed free agent fullback/running back Lex Hilliard. Jets fans might not know too much about Hilliard, so I’ve been looking at game footage in detail to investigate what he could bring to the table.

Hilliard spent the preseason with the Vikings before being cut, after which he signed with the New England Patriots, although he didn't see much playing time in two games with them before being let go again. Prior to that, he had been with Tony Sparano's Miami Dolphins, who drafted him in the sixth round in 2008.

After the jump, I look in detail at footage from Hilliard's time in the league to evaluate some of his strengths and weaknesses.

Who is Lex Hilliard?

While he is mainly considered as a fullback now, Hilliard was a tailback in college at Montana. There he rushed for over 4,000 yards - including over 1,300 in 2005 - and caught 57 passes. In 2006, he suffered an achilles injury and missed the entire season and although he bounced back with another 1,000 yard season in his senior year, that may have robbed him of some speed. He only ran a 4.66 at the combine, although he did post impressive numbers in the short shuttle (4.03), vertical jump (36.5 inches) and broad jump (over 10 feet), so clearly he had some explosiveness and agility. Miami drafted him in 2008 and he spent his rookie year on their practice squad.

In 2009, he saw some action on special teams but finally started seeing regular action towards the end of the season - then as a backup tailback. He had a breakout game in Week 16, catching nine passes for 74 yards and a touchdown and rushing for another score. However, in 2010, he didn't play much, touching the ball just once on a three yard catch, but he did see regular action as a backup fullback and occasional halfback in 2011. When New England signed him in 2012, it was purely as a fullback, although he only played nine snaps in two games. It's assumed that's the role the Jets have in mind for him, but with their running backs struggling, maybe he can contribute at the tailback position too.

He is listed at 228 pounds so fits into that hybrid back mold that perhaps the Jets saw in Terrance Ganaway. He's not a 250 pounds pure blocking back like John Conner, but lacks the speed to be a conventional tailback. However, he should be able to run with some power and bring some versatility to the backfield.

The Numbers

Four seasons (plus one on Miami's practice squad)

50 games

Four starts, all in 2011

40 carries, 132 yards, two touchdowns (3.3 ypc)

26 catches, 210 yards, two touchdowns

93% catch rate

No drops or fumbles

One kick return for 14 yards

25 special teams tackles, including 14 in 2009 and nine in 2010, two missed tackles, one penalty (neutral zone)

One offensive penalty committed (false start)

Zero 20+ yard plays

One fumble recovery

One blocked punt recovery for a touchdown

Observations

Based on all the regular season footage I watched, here was my take on what Hilliard brings to the table, divided into categories:

Usage - As noted, Hilliard was mostly used as a tailback in 2009, but has been employed mostly as a fullback since 2010. While he isn't your classic lead-blocking fullback, Hilliard has been mostly used in that role over the last few years. The Dolphins under Sparano also occasionally used him in three back sets, typically in short yardage situations or the wildcat package. They would sometimes employ three backs with two fullbacks and one tailback in the backfield (and even employed the Wing T at one point). However, from that formation, either fullback was often an option to carry the ball too. In their wildcat package, they would often have Ronnie Brown taking the snap with a back either side of him. One would then run to the outside to make a block for Brown to follow and the other would go straight up the middle, sometimes getting the ball from Brown on the handoff. The Dolphins also employed him at times in a dual back set in passing situations, thereby giving one or both backs the option to stay in to pass block.

The most common assumption in the media is that Hilliard has been acquired to fill in temporarily for John Conner (and if he does well, maybe the possibility exists that they'll stick with Hilliard and get rid of Conner). That's probably true, but there's also a chance that adding Hilliard will bring about some versatility to the running game, perhaps with Conner in the game at the same time, or with Hilliard taking his place in certain packages, but Conner still operating as the main lead blocker. They could certainly run three back sets with both at fullback and I would suggest that Hilliard might be better equipped for some of those wildcat plays, because he should be more mobile in terms of getting to the outside. His versatility in general could be a positive thing for those packages and he'll obviously be familiar with the playbook, having played with Miami for the last few seasons.

Running Ability - The first thing that stands out about Hilliard's stats is his poor yards per carry average. However, this is somewhat misleading because he was used so much in short yardage situations. On the basis of all the footage I watched, I've calculated his success rate in short yardage situations to be 80%. That happens to be somewhere that the Jets have been struggling - to the point where they've been reluctant to even try running the ball in those situations. However, there were several examples of Hilliard driving the pile in short yardage situations, so he was able to get a first down even when there wasn't a hole. He even converted a short yardage situation earlier this year with the Pats, so although they hardly used him, clearly they saw his worth in that area.

What Hilliard doesn't bring as a runner is any breakaway ability. He has never had a 20-yard play (as a runner or a receiver) in the NFL. Having said that, he did have a 39-yard touchdown run in preseason in 2009. He does flash the ability to get to the second level though. On his first ever carry, on 3rd and 15, he broke two tackles and drove the pile downfield to pick up 18 and a first down. That remains the longest run of his career, although he averaged just 3.2 yards on the rest of his carries that year. He did have a respectable 2.9 yards per carry after contact though. Other than as a short yardage back, he's pretty limited as a runner, although he scored one touchdown on a Jet Sweep out of the wildcat formation. His other touchdown came as the Dolphins had first and goal from the eight yard line and just gave it to him three times until he scored (although, after it clearly looked like he broke the plane on second down, it actually looked like he didn't on third down). On just 40 career carries, he has broken nine tackles, although that may be a little misleading because only one of them came since the end of the 2009 season and his move to fullback.

Run Blocking - Conner's biggest problem since getting in the league has been that he is sometimes inconsistent with sustaining his blocks. Often that's a product of trying to "light up" a guy in the hole, which - with NFL players - often means they just bounce off you and make a play. Hilliard, being a little smaller also sometimes lets guys get off his blocks to make plays, but it's usually more to do with him getting overpowered or losing the leverage battle. However, his lack of size doesn't necessarily stop him from making conventional fullback blocks. I saw one play where he met a linebacker in the hole and drove him out of the play. He also handled Muhammad Wilkerson last season, to set up a huge lane for a 28-yard Steve Slaton run. As you'd expect, he does look better than Conner at getting out on the move to make a block in space, although he did sometime miss his target at the second level.

He's not a dominant blocker by any means, but he didn't seem to blow too many assignments and there were only a few plays where guys threw him aside to make plays - the worst of which was in his own end zone and led to a safety.

Pass Protection - Hilliard had some issues in pass protection in 2009, giving up two sacks, two hits and one pressure in 39 pass block sacks. Both sacks were by Lamarr Woodley in the last game of the regular season. He also got beaten for a hit that led to an interception. Since then, he's only given up two pressures and no sacks or hits in 38 pass blocking snaps. That may be a product of him becoming a fullback and perhaps improving his strength because on some of those 2009 plays, he was driven off his spot and didn't keep a strong base. Conner has never looked that good in pass protection, so Hilliard could be an upgrade here too.

Receiving Threat - As a receiver, Hilliard was useful as a safety valve out of the backfield. Looking at the footage, it was basically the same play over and over again - he ran a diagonal to the flat, then caught the ball and turned upfield. On a few occasions, he had the speed to beat the linebacker to the outside and turn it into a decent gain, although his longest play was only 18 yards (on two occasions). One of these came as the quarterback scrambled around on 3rd and 13 and he found a soft spot for a dump off, which he caught in stride to get the first down. He also had two touchdowns in consecutive games at the end of the 2009 season on the same dump-off play - one where he dived for the pylon and another where he was wide open for a walk-in score.

Hands - Another impressive stat that jumps out is that Hilliard caught 20 passes on 20 targets in 2009. Since then, he's caught six of eight. Having said that, all of these were dump-offs, as he has never been thrown to more than 10 yards beyond the line of scrimmage. Still, that's a good sign of how reliable he is in the short passing game, which might be a good way to get Sanchez into a rhythm and create holes for the running game by stretching the defense. There was one play where he juggled the ball and was tackled for no gain, but otherwise, he was very sure handed. He also has zero fumbles in his NFL career.

Special Teams - Hilliard has been a good contributor on specials teams. He was productive as a tackler, especially in 2009 and 2010, and also contributed in other ways, for example as a blocker on the kick return unit and on the punt return unit where he scored a touchdown on a blocked punt in 2011.

Attitude - Hilliard seems to have a positive attitude, as summed up by this quote, which perhaps is the sort of positive example it makes sense to add to the team:

"I'll play whatever. It may have to be on special teams. I'm ready to go. I'm ready to do whatever it takes to help the Miami Dolphins win."

(Obviously, replace "Miami Dolphins" with "New York Jets" within that quote).

I didn't see too many brain cramps and missed assignments by Hilliard, although there was a miscommunication on a draw play which indirectly led to Chad Henne's season ending injury last year and there was also one play where he recovered a muffed kickoff at the one and took a knee in the endzone, which should have been a safety, but he got lucky with the call.

Conclusions

This might be exactly what everybody says it is - a temporary move to replace an injured starter - but Hilliard may bring some things that the Jets currently lack and therefore end up making a positive contribution. He's not a great blocker, but might be more consistent than Conner. He's not a dynamic runner, but might be a better short yardage option than anyone on the roster. He might also give them a bit of backfield versatility that could allow them to run certain packages more effectively, including the wildcat. Indications are that he'll also provide a positive attitude and a good understanding of the playbook.

FNNY presented by Jeep: Common for NFL players to not remember games?

12:20AM

The FNNY panel touches on the report that Brandon Marshall told the Daily News he doesn't remember scoring three touchdowns in a 2014 game.

Read More

Share:

GEICO SportsNite: Jets place Nick Mangold on season-ending IR

12:06AM

Share:

GEICO SportsNite: Mangold to IR00:01:25

Willie Colon comments on Nick Mangold's career after the Jets placed him on injured reserve.

Share:

Wilkerson says 'tighter coverage' would have led to more sacks

Dec 8 | 7:30PM

Share:

New York Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson (96) celebrates a sack with teammates during the first half of an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans Sunday, Dec. 13, 2015, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan) (Peter Morgan/AP)

Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson responded "maybe a little tighter coverage and we get those sacks" when asked why New York was held to one sack in their 41-10 loss to the Colts Monday.

Fitzpatrick to serve as backup QB behind Petty

Dec 6 | 4:55PM

QB Ryan Fitzpatrick will serve as New York's backup quarterback for the remainder of the season, while rookie QB Christian Hackenberg will not play unless starting QB Bryce Petty suffers an injury, head coach Todd Bowles told reporters on Tuesday.

Bowles named Petty the starting quarterback following Monday night's embarrassing 41-10 loss to the Colts, relegating Fitzpatrick to the backup role.

When asked if the rookie quarterback would see any playing time this season, Bowles was quick to say only an injury would lead to Hackenberg taking the field.

TJB Post Game Podcast: Bryce Petty and the Heartbreakers

Dec 6 | 3:59PM

Share:

The Jets are free fallin, while Corey Griffin and Brian Bassett have their green hearts broken and are at a loss for answers. But they do find your voicemails…and talk about Bryce Petty, Todd Bowles, an uncertain future, and a nifty play by the pylon.

Read More

Share:

Jets waive C.J. Spiller and Jeremy Ross

Dec 6 | 3:10PM

Share:

New York Jets receiver Jeremy Ross (10) returns a kick-off against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the fourth quarter at Heinz Field. (Charles LeClaire)

New York also announced the signing of WR Darius Jennings to the practice squad, who will take the place of WR Mario Alford, who has been released.

Spiller signed with the Jets on Nov. 2 after playing two games for Seattle. Spiller appeared in four games with the Jets, returning five kickoffs for an average of 19.1 yards per return, along with recording three rushes and one reception on offense.

Read More

Share:

BGA: Insight and analysis from Week 13

By Bent | Dec 6 | 12:15PM

Share:

(Ed Mulholland)

The Jets were crushed by the Colts, 41-10, on Monday night at MetLife Stadium as they fell to 3-9 on the season. Bryce Petty replaced Ryan Fitzpatrick during the game and will be the starter for the remainder of the season. Here's insight and analysis regarding the Jets' awful Monday night performance...

Quarterbacks

Ryan Fitzpatrick's performance speaks for itself. He only completed one pass beyond the first down marker, had a completion percentage below 50 percent, and punctuated his performance with an interception on the kind of forced throw he's been unable to get away with all season.

Bowles names Petty starting quarterback for remainder of season

Dec 6 | 12:08AM

New York Jets head coach Todd Bowles named Bryce Petty the starting quarterback for the remainder of the season, barring injury, after he replaced Ryan Fitzpatrick midway through Monday's 41-10 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.

Bowles said he planned to name Petty the team's starting quarterback for the rest of the year regardless of what happened Monday, adding that Fitzpatrick's ineffectiveness -- 5-for-12, 81 yards, no touchdowns and one interception -- in the loss to the Colts did not factor into the decision.

Petty completed 11 of 25 passes for 135 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions as he replaced Fitzpatrick for the second half, entering a 31-3 game.

Dec 5 | 11:46PM

Andrew Luck was nearly perfect in his return from a concussion, throwing for four touchdowns, three to Dwayne Allen, in the Indianapolis Colts' 41-10 romp Monday night past the inept New York Jets.

Not that Luck had to work very hard against the hosts, who were booed by a much-less-than-filled MetLife Stadium almost from the outset.

Luck missed last week's loss to Pittsburgh, cleared the NFL's concussion protocol on the weekend, and came back in style with a prime-time performance. He lifted Indianapolis (6-6) into a tie for the lead in the AFC South with Tennessee and Houston.

A witness said an argument took place between McKnight and the shooter before the shooter opened fire multiple times.

Read More

Share:

What did you think about the Jets' game?

Dec 5 | 11:15PM

Share:

We want to hear from you! What did you think of today's Jets game?

Record a reaction or question about the game, which may be used during TheJetsBlog Post Game Podcast, call 1 (831) 769-6387 or use this to record a message (please remember to leave your name and city):

New York Jets head coach Todd Bowles benched starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick in favor of backup Bryce Petty for the second half of Monday's game against the Indianapolis Colts at MetLife Stadium.

Fitzpatrick completed 5 of 12 passes for 81 yards with an interception and a 30.2 passer rating as the Jets trailed 24-3 at halftime.

Petty is making his first game appearance since Week 10, a 9-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in which he went 19-for-32 with 163 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

Jets honor Joe McKnight with pregame moment of silence

Dec 6 | 7:16AM

New York Jets running back Joe McKnight walks back to the locker room following practice at SUNY Cortland. (Rich Barnes-US PRESSWIRE)

The New York Jets have held a moment of silence before their game against the Indianapolis Colts at MetLife Stadium to honor former running back Joe McKnight, killed last Thursday in Louisiana.

Authorities said McKnight, 28, was shot during a road rage incident that was possibly sparked by a driver cutting off another on a nearby bridge in Terrytown, across the Mississippi River from New Orleans. The shooter was identified by police as Ronald Gasser, 54, and he was released overnight, drawing criticism.

McKnight was rated the nation's No. 1 running back recruit when he came out of Louisiana in 2006 and signed with the University of Southern California. He was a fourth-round draft pick of the Jets in 2010 and played three seasons for New York. He spent a season with Kansas City, and most recently played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League.

Petty started against the Rams in Week 10 when Ryan Fitzpatrick was out with an injury, and completed 19 of 32 passes for 163 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. It was the first, and so far the only, start of his career.

While some have questioned why Todd Bowles has not given the young quarterback more opportunities to prove himself, many believe it is because Petty has simply not shown enough during practice to earn the starting job.

During the season, Bent's Game Analysis charts games for some of the New York Jets' upcoming opponents, enabling a breakdown of what to watch out for on game day…

This week's Monday Night Football will see the Jets hosting the 5-6 Indianapolis Colts. Despite having endured a disappointing year so far, the Colts were just one game out of first place in the AFC South entering this weekend. The Colts have lost three of their last four games, albeit to three potential playoff teams in Green Bay, Kansas City and Pittsburgh. The teams met early last year with the Jets defeating the Colts 20-7, again on Monday Night Football, in one of the best performances of the Todd Bowles and Mike Maccagnan era.

TheJetsBlog Podcast: Are the Jets Better Off Today?

Dec 4 | 11:54AM

Share:

Brian Bassett welcomes Brian Costello of the New York Post to the podcast, and they take a deep dive into the question of whether or not the Jets are better off today than the day when Woody Johnson flipped the switch from the John Idzik/Rex Ryan regime, to the current Mike Maccagnan/Todd Bowles duo. Later, SNY NFL Insider Ralph Vacchiano joins the show to talk about his Thursday conversation with Darrelle Revis at Florham Park, and to share his thoughts on Revis' future with the Jets.

Jets future up in the air for Revis, who wants to play in 2017

Darrelle Revis has made it pretty clear that he intends to play in 2017, telling SNY "I still have a lot of football to play." He even thinks he can still play football at a high level.

But at what position? And for whom? Neither of those answers are clear just yet. And though it's certainly possible that the Jets will simply part ways with the greatest cornerback they've ever had, a team source insisted not to rule Revis out of the Jets' 2017 plans just yet.

TJB Roundtable: Looking on the bright side

Maybe it is just me, but it seems like the Faustian bargain made by Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Jets on the eve of training camp signaled the end. Since then the trajectory of this team has been steadily downward: horrifying play at QB, the season-ending injury to Eric Decker, the immolation of Darrelle Revis as "player who gives a damn" … it has been rough. Hell, even Muhammad Wilkerson's reputation looks to be streaking down the Alpine Slide at Action Park!

But since we're Jets fans, we are notorious gluttons for punishment. So rather than dwell on all the bad stuff … what causes for hope do you have from what you've seen this season, Bent?

Read More

Share:

Gailey tries to evaluate Petty, Hackenberg despite lack of game time

Dec 2 | 8:06AM

Share:

New York Jets quarterback Bryce Petty throws the ball during warmups before a game against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium. (Scott Galvin/USA Today Sports Images)

New York Jets offensive coordinator Chan Gailey said young quarterbacks Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg need to get all the reps they can get to continue to develop.

Though the Jets have decided to turn back to Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback for the foreseeable future, Gailey said Petty "needs all of the work he can get," according to NJ.com's Connor Hughes.

"It helps to play in games. ... The probability in games, you've got a lot better idea of what's going to happen," Gailey said. "In practice, you only have about a 75 percent probability of how they're going to be, how they're to play, and how they're going to progress."

Petty has started just one game -- a 9-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 10 -- this season before head coach Todd Bowles opted to make Fitzpatrick, who led New York to 10 wins last season, the starter again.

Revis weighs in on retirement, possible move to safety, and more

Ralph Vacchiano reports from the Jets facility on the Darrelle Revis rumors of him possibly retiring after the 2016 season.

Darrelle Revis, the embattled Jets cornerback, insists that he has given no thought to retirement despite his age and his struggles this season, and that his love for the game of football is as strong as ever. In fact, in an interview with SNY.tv on Thursday, he said any questions about how much he still wants to play are "really bizarre."

That was the 31-year-old Revis' response to the latest round of criticism in what has become a miserable season for the future Hall of Famer. He has struggled on the field in a season he admits is "definitely not" up to his personal standards, and the shots he's taken in the media have been relentless at times.

The latest came in a report in the New York Daily News on Wednesday that quoted a "confidant" of the cornerback saying "If he had his way he'd be done right now. He doesn't want to play anymore."

WR Brandon Marshall wants to finish his career with the Jets, the wide receiver told reporters on Monday.

"Obviously (I have) no plans on retiring, no plans on switching teams," Marshall said. "Would love to stay here and retire as a Jet."

The Jets acquired Marshall and a seventh round draft pick from the Bears for a fifth round pick prior to the 2015 NFL Draft. In his first season with New York, Marshall caught 109 passes for 1,502 yards and 14 touchdowns.

"You never know in this business," Marshall admitted about the chances he will be back in New York next season.

TJB Post Game Podcast: Put Down By The Pats

Nov 28 | 5:30PM

Share:

Corey Griffin and Brian Bassett deal with another inevitable loss to the Patriots, and the inevitable calls for the heads of Todd Bowles, Darrelle Revis, and Muhammad Wilkerson. They sift through another week of your voice mails, as the Jets sort through what's left of their season.